Mathura : Govardhan Puri Peethadheeshwar Jagadguru Shankaracharya Swami Adhokshajanand Dev Tirtha Ji Maharaj reached Goverdhan located Shankaracharya Ashram in Mathura after completing five-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and other dignitaries accorded warm welcome to Shankaracharya in J & K. Besides several religious meetings and other programs, a grand procession of Lord Shankaracharya was taken out in the state during the visit of Jagadguru.
On his arrival in Jammu and Kashmir, revered Hindu seer Shankaracharya Adhokshajanand Devtirtha paid visit to holy Cave shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi nestled in Trikuta mountains and paid his obesiance to holy deity and prayed for peace and harmony, informed a spokesperson of the Shankaracharya Ashram here today. On behalf of the state government, SDM Satish Bali, Dy SP Nikhil Sharma, Additional CEO of Shrine Board Ajay accorded a warm welcome to Shankaracharya. Clerics at Vaishnava Mata presented him with special prasad in shape of mother’s chunari and Prasad, the spokesperson added.
Therafter, holy seer visited Vishwasthali Basohli, a hilly area Kathua district of the state where a grand procession was taken out to celebrate the auspiciou occasion.
The disciples of Vishwasthali gurukul participated in the yatra and created a spiritual ambinece by reciting hymns from Vedas and religious scriptures.
Among thousands of devotees prominent include senior state BJP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh, his wife, chairman of Basauli Nagar, president of Vishwasthali, office bearers of many religious, social and political organizations of the state participated in the Shobha Yatra.
The religious seer was worshiped and garlanded profousely by his devotees during the city tour during the procession.
Another special programme to mark the visit of holy seer was organized under the supervision of Vice Chancelor SKUAST-Jammu, Prof JP Sharma at Baba Jitto Auditorium Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Science and Technology (SKUAST), Jammu.
Jammu and Kashmir’s Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha was the chief guest on the occasion.
Apart from Vice-Chancellors of different universities of the union Territory (UT), top government officials, social worker Vinod Bagrodia and a large number of distinguished citizens and laumanaries were present in the this programme.
Thereafter the holy seer Shankaracharya ji blessed everyone and also deliveried a sermon during his visit to University Randhir Campus, Jammu.
Speaking on the occasion, Jagadguru emphasized on the propagation of Sanskrit language.
Earlier the veteran politician and former minister and vice-president of the state BJP, Madanlal Sharma welcomed Shankaracharya ji.
It may be mentioned here that all these programmes were held as a series of programmes to commemorate the birth centenary of late Dr Uttamchand Shastri Pathak.
Showering a lot of praise upon late soul for his selfless service to society and propogation of Sanskrit language, revered Jagadguru in his address said that Shastri ji was a great scholar of the century, who continued the propagation of Sanskrit language even in difficult circumstances in the erstwhile state like Jammu and Kashmir and established Chudamani Sanskrit Vidyalaya Gurukul in Basholi for popularising the ancient language.
On the occasion a free medical camp was also oprganized where prothestic limbs and others aids including spectales were distributed to the handicapped by the Abha Bagrodia Charitable Trust, Kolkata.
Yet another impressive religious meeting was also organized at Ramlila Maidan in Basholi to mark birth centenary of Bramhalin Dr Uttamchand Shastri Pathak.
Director Special Security Governor Jammu Kashmir Shakti Pathak welcomed Shankaracharya while students of Chudamani Sanskriti Vidyalaya Gurukul presented a spectacular recreation of the debate between Adi Shankaracharya and Mandan Mishra 2500 years ago as mentioned in scriptures.
Later Shankaracharya ji addressed the gathering and blessed them.
There was a lot of enthusiasm among the people about the arrival of Shankaracharya and people welcomed Jagadguru during his visit at many places in Hiranagar, Mahanpur and Kathua-Romesh Kotwal SSP Kathua and other devotees greeted and offered obesiance to Shankaracharya .
Special rituals to be held at Shankaracharya Ashram in Navratri
In Shardiya Navratri special rituals will be organised at Goverdhan located Shankaracharya Ashram in Mathura here from Monday. Preparations to this effect got momentum after the arrival of Jagadguru Devtirth. The spokesperson informs that besides recitation of Durga Saptashati, special prayer of Raj Rajeshwari Tripur Sundari will be held here during Navratri, the nine-day festival of Goddess Durga.